1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sealing strip having a retention section for coupling the sealing strip to a first frame member and a sealing section configured to sealingly contact a second frame member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Numerous sealing strips are commonly used in the art as an environmental barrier. In the automotive industry, sealing strips are used in numerous locations including between the vehicle door and part of the vehicle body. Sealing strips of the type described herein must provide a sufficiently strong coupling of the retention section to one of the frame members and an effective seal. The retention strength of the sealing strip is generally improved by increasing the rigidity or density of the retention section material. However, rigid and dense material may adversely impact ease of installation as well as reduce the effectiveness of the seals. In an attempt to obtain a suitable balance of these factors, many manufacturers commonly use different materials for the sealing and retention sections. Other approaches include using reinforcement in the retention section to improve rigidity and retention integrity and/or providing hollow chambers in a rigid or dense retention section material to facilitate installation. While these approaches may be suitable for many applications, the art has not adequately addressed the need to further improve sealing strip retention characteristics without increasing the manufacturing complexity of the strip.